Among Mirrors (Among Earth - Filler Story)
by KingWish
Summary: The is a side-story of my original work: Among Earth. Here you will be informed of information that you would not recieve in my main story otherwise. Spoiler: You can read the full story without reading this one.
1. AM - CH 1

**This Chapter is part of a Filler-Storyline called Among Mirrors. Here I will explains some things that happen in-between certain chapters of the Main-storyline from Among Earth.**

 **This Chapter will be about the training-camp for our Main protagonist: Jason. Jason and Mister Star leave the city together and are heading towards the mountains, away from civilization.**

 **Here, Mister Star will train Jason, hoping to stabilize his 'special' Magic and to further understand his new student.**

.

* * *

.

.

 **Among Mirrors: Chapter One – Master Star**

.

 _\- Jason and Mister Star were walked towards the edge of the city as they started asking each other questions as to what the 'big plan' was. –_

"S-So Mister Star, how are you going to help me 'control' my powers?" -Jason asked of Mister Star.

"With training, my student." -Mister Star said as he looked back at his pupil and smiled wide.

"Training? What kind of training?" -Jason asked while looking confused and scratching the back of his head.

"I… don't know, yet. Maybe some kind meditation… or maybe strength training…?"-He muttered while rubbing his chin and gazing upwards.

"Y-You don't know yet?!" -Jason said with a surprised look.

"…Or maybe both?" -Mister Star said as he ignored his student and looked back at him with an evil looking grin.

"Mister Star…! ***sigh*** Oh, well… So, where are we going then?" – Jason asked as he let go of all the emotions that were jumping around in his head.

"We, my dear student, are going to the mountains behind this city! There are still mountains behind the city, right?

"T-The mountains?!" -Jason said in a shocking way.

"I'll take that as a yes!" -Mister Star said as he smiled bright yet again.

"B-But, why are we going there, Mister Star?!" – Jason said in an even more shocked and confused way than before.

"Easy question, Jason! So, that we won't hurt anyone…" -Mister Star said as his smile turned into a serious face.

"Just what kind of training am I going to receive…?" – Jason mumbled as a shiver of fear rolled over his back.

"That's what I want to know." – Mister Star mumbles as he keeps looking forward.

.

 _\- A few hours later they arrive at the foot of the mountain, facing a steep-upwards-cliff with a lot of branches sticking out of it. –_

"Here we are, Jason." -Mister Star says as he gestures up to the cliff.

"H…Here?! I don… I don't even know w-where… we are a…anymore…" -Jason complained, while trying to catch his breath.

"Hahaha, I told you we were going to the mountains, didn't I?!"

"B-But the mountains are beyond this cliff! W-What are we going to do?!" -Jason shouted annoyed.

"WE are going to climb this cliff, my student." -Mister Star says casually as he grabs Jason's backpack and starts jumping from branch to branch.

"Wha… What?! How am I going to get up there?!" -Jason says as he looks at his teacher scaling the cliff with ease.

"You climb, Jason! Hurry up! The sun will set in about 5 hours and we have a lot of things to do today." -Mister Star shouts downwards as he is already halfway.

"I thought you were my teacher! How about you teach me how to do things like this?!" -Jason shouts angerly.

"Lesson number One: Stop doubting yourself! Also, call me Master from now on, you are my student after all." -Mister Star yells as he is almost at the top.

" ***?!*** Fine… I'll just… do it. I guess?" -Jason mumbled as he took hold of a low-hanging branch.

 _\- Master Star had reached the top and looked back at his student and was surprised by his actions. Jason was trying his best, to climb the cliff. –_

(So… this is your resolve, huh Jason?) -As he was thinking that, a small grin appeared on his face.

.

 _\- After a few minutes of Jason struggling, they took a small break as Master Star hadn't given Jason a break since they left town. After their break they walked a bit further up the mountain, until they set up camp. –_

"Now, watch this, my student." -Master Star said as he patted Jason on the head and took a few steps forward.

"Now, let's see if I can still do this much…" -he mumbled to himself as he placed his hands together, as if he was praying.

 _\- He stood there for a couple of seconds, unmoved and in complete silence. That was until Jason interrupted. –_

"M-Master…?"

"Here goes! FORMATION: …!" -Master Star shouted as he slammed his right hand onto the ground and a huge quake occurred with Master Star at its center.

"Wow! I'm sorry!" – Jason quickly yelled as he covered his face and braced himself.

 _\- A few seconds later after the quake subsided, the ground started bulging in front of them until it bursted open and a giant two-story house emerged from the ground. –_

"…Home…!"

"W-What?! Master, what did you do… or rather HOW did you…?! -Jason asked as he stood there pointing at the giant manor-like house in front of them.

"Don't worry about it, my student. I will teach you this along the way to." -He replied as he looked proud of himself as he walked towards the door.

\- Jason stood there speechless as he looked at the house. –

"What? You didn't think I would let you sleep in a cave for ten years, did you? Come on in and make yourself at home." -Master Star said as he opened the door and walked inside.

 _\- Jason's expression changed from 'speechless' to 'admired' in a matter of seconds. He walked towards the door without saying anything. He turned around and looked at his surroundings. Surrounding the house was nothing but a large forest and plenty of mountains. Completely secluded from the rest of the world… –_

 _._

 _\- A few minutes later behind the house. -_

"Okay Jason. This is good and all, but let's talk about the problem at hand here."

"R-Right! My magic…" -Jason said as he looked at his hands. When his left hand started to glow slightly.

 _\- Master Star quickly took hold of Jason's hand and the glow disappeared. –_

"Calm down Jason." -Master Star said with a calm and gentle voice."

 _\- When he removed his hand, a small bracelet hand appeared around Jason's wrist. –_

"Master Star?"-Jason said while looking at the bracelet and his hand that was no longer glowing.

"That should keep about half of your power in check while we train." – Master star said as he placed his hands on his hips.

"A-Are you sure?" -Jason asked with a little bit of fear could be heard in his voice.

"Don't worry my student, they work. After all I made them." -The master said as he raised a thumb.

.

 _\- Master Star get closer to Jason and placed his hand on his head and closes his eyes. –_

"Okay, I need you to think about your magic as best as you can, student. Think of any moment that you magic has "gone wild" like you claimed it did." -Master Star said in a calm and serious voice.

"Alright, I'll try" -Jason said as he closed his eyes and tried to remember.

 _\- As the wind blows through the trees, it envelopes Jason and Master Star for a few seconds until it fades away trough the trees again. –_

"I-I see… Alright, you can open your eyes." -Master Star said a he lifted his hand from Jason's head and looked around his to see if anything had happened.

"What happened? I feel so… so… peaceful."-Jason said as he looked at his hands and noticed that for a moment, the pain in his body had disappeared.

"I just looked at your Magic-source and your capabilities, to see how bad your situation is. And as your teacher, I have to say… it is about a bad as it gets. However, I think that I know what needs to be done."

"Wow, that's amazing and pretty bad at the same time… So, what do we need to do?"-Jason said as he lowered his arms and relaxed his body.

"We need to work on your body, my student! It's too weak to hold all the magic you have inside and so it starts to leak. But we'll save that for later. Let's head back inside and have dinner for now. I need to make a schedule for the next month." -He said as he patted Jason on the back and walked back inside.

 _\- While they walked back inside, Jason up front and Master Star walking behind him, Master Star turned around to look at the sunset and noticed something on the ground. As he walked closer to it, he noticed something odd about it. –_

"Well well… that kid…" -He mumbled as he looked down at two scorch-marks on the ground in the shape of a pair of shoes.

.

* * *

.

 _\- Three months later, at the mountains… -_

"Jason…?!" -Master Star shouted from within the house."

 _\- As he walked towards the backdoor, he notices some noise coming from outside. –_

(Hmm He wouldn't be out training this early in the morning, would he?) – Star thought as he opened the door and found his student doing morning exercises.

"Jason?" -Master Star shouts with a morning voice, while yawning.

"Oh, Good morning Teacher." – Jason says with a friendly smile as he's doing pushups.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself so much, you know. If your body collapses, so will your ESP." -Master Star says as he rubs his eyes.

"Right! Why do you call it ESP again? And what does it mean again…?" Jason says while sitting on the ground and scratching the back of his head.

"We've gone over this before… I am not from around here, I'm from… somewhere else…. and where I come from, we call it Extra Sensory Perception. Remember? And this is nothing I can't handle. Not only am I a professor, I excel in this area of expertise."

"Right, right. And where are you from again, teach?" -Jason said as he continued doing sit-ups.

 _\- As master star sighed loudly, he walks towards his student with a slightly annoyed look on his face. –_

"As I said… Stop working out…!" -He shouts as he slams his student on the head and pummels him into the ground.

"…And that doesn't matter! You twerp"

"Aww, I'm sorry!" -Jason said as he gets back up and rubs his head, while teary eyed.

"Well, whatever. Let's have breakfast for now…" -Master Star said as he calmed down.

"Yes, sir!" -Jason shouts happily as he follows his teacher back into the house.

.

* * *

.

 _\- 2 Months later… -_

"Alright Jason, your body is coming along just fine now. What I can see from the previous ESP-readings, is that you should be much more stable than you were at first. Consider the growth of both your body and your mind, we seem to have taken a step in the right direction." -Master Star explains as he watches Jason collect some firewood.

"R-Really? That's great, isn't it?! Then maybe I can really be cured after all!" -Jason says as he drops the firewood right next to the house.

"Now hold your horses, student. What do you mean 'cured'? You can't get rid of it Jason, it's a part of you!" -Master Star says as he looks very confused and surprised at the same time.

"B-But Master, you told me that I could learn to control it. Doesn't that mean I can learn to get rid of it as well?!" -Jason claims to believe.

"I'm afraid that is does not work that way, my student." -The master says as he shakes his head and crosses his arms.

"Why not?! If it is my magic, then shouldn't it obey me?! -Jason says as his expression turns from cheerful to angry with a bit of confusion.

"Magic, as you call it here, can only go as far as the user is capable of going and the user will eventually reach a limit. This limit, is something that the user could, potentially, overcome. However, you would require years of intense training in order to do so."

"W-Wait a minute! Is that what we're doing, training?! So that I can overcome some sort of limit?! Well, I don't want to! I just want to live a normal life, Master!" -Jason says as he goes on a tantrum.

"What you just said… is about half right true… about the magic obeying you…"

 _\- A moment of silence fell as the wind blew through the trees with great force. Jason looked at the trees and this calmed him down a bit. -_

"However, Jason…" -Master Star says as he looks straight at Jason and makes eye-contact with a serious look on his face.

"…You haven't forgotten what happened to you in the city, have you? That happened because you COULDN'T control your magic! Do you want to have that happen more often, or even daily?! Get that idea of 'getting rid of your ESP' out of your head…! Not everyone is as "goodhearted" as you are Jason! There are people that will seek out violence and danger with their magic. Are you going to let that happen, as you run for your life…! Or are you going to be the one who stands up to them?!" -Master Star says with a raised voice that silenced even nature itself.

 _\- The forest that was usually noisy with all the animals and the wind blowing through the trees, was now completely silent… –_

"Think about how many lives it will cost! Just how are you going to take control of your magic if you don't even know what it is, or what to do about it." -Master Star says as he lowers his voice.

"I… I…" -Jason mutters as he thinks about everyone that he holds dear back in the city.

 _\- After a minute of Jason standing there with his eyes closed, he walks toward his teacher. When he finally stands a few feet before his master, he opens his eyes, looks straight in his master and makes a bow. -_

"Master Star… Please teach me everything you know about ESP and how to control it. I will do anything, no matter how hard the training!" -Jason says with a sincere and honest voice.

"Alright then, let's get to work."

.

* * *

.

\- The next couple of months were filled with instructions on how Jason could keep his magic in check and how to evolve it. –

"Yes, that it how it is done! Keep it up, student!" -Master Star says with a small smile

"Yes, Teacher!" -Jason says while covered in sweat.

.

* * *

 _._

 _\- On a certain day in their training… -_

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask, Jason…"

"What is it, Master?" -Jason says while continues his focus-training while meditating on top of a large boulder.

"I do see you reading some sort of books every now and then. What exactly are you reading?" -Master Star asks as he gestures towards the house.

"Oh that. No sir, those aren't books exactly, those are comic books." -Jason says as he stops meditating and looks at his teacher.

"Ah, so what's the deal? Why do you read them so often?" -Master Star asks they he looks even more confused than before.

"I guess… I just… really like them, because I can kind of relate to them." -Jason says while blushing.

"No, that's impossible. Trust me, your situation is one of a kind, Jason." -Master Star says with a blank expression as he walks inside the house.

.

 _\- Two minutes later, In the house… -_

.

"So, you like them because they resemble you, you said?"-Master Star says while holding a comic book in his hands and started to read through it.

"Yeah, I just like their stories. The tough road they walk and the obstacles they need to overcome in order to become stronger." -Jason says as he kinds starts to geeks out.

"Is that so…? Then what is this one about? Uhm, One… Piece…?" -Master Star says as he reads the cover.

"That one is really good! It's a story about a world that is all about piracy and treasure. There is a treasure that everyone tries to get their hands on, so they can become the new king of the world. The story revolves around a young boy who heads out to sea in order to find the treasure and while doing so he goes on crazy and exciting adventures. On his way towards the end, he gathers a crew, who become his best friends, and they sail the whole world together and while doing so, they are becoming stronger, so that they can fight other pirates who are trying to do the same!" -Jason says with stars in his eyes.

"O…kay… what about this one? Dragon B…" -Master Star says a he got cut off by his student.

"Dragon Ball! Another great one! It's about a young boy who has 'power's and loves to fight in the style of martial arts. He also must overcome many hardships and strong opponents. As he grows up he gets married to a woman who knowns how to fight and they start living together. He learns that he is an alien and hold more power than he could ever imagine. As he grows older, his passion for fighting grows and he end up saving the planet multiple times because of it." -Jason says as he strikes a heroic pose while telling all that.

"I… almost don't want to ask, but… what about this next one?" -Master Star says as he shows Jason the next book he picked up.

"Fairy Tail, this story is one of my favorites. In a world filled with magic, wizards have created buildings called guild. Here they gather other wizards and provide services to the townsfolk. This story is all about one of those guilds called Fairy Tail. Here the wizards see each other as one big family. This guild is filled with strong wizards with a big variety of magic. Because of this, the wizard-guild is under attack by evildoers many times. But it always turns out right in the end." -Jason says with admiration in his voice.

"Jason, that's… well, alright. What's with this one, it seems fairly normal." -Master Star says as he shows Jason the Naruto-comic.

"Ow, that one. Yeah, I haven't finished it yet. But I know the basic story. It's about a boy who dreams of becoming the village-leader when he grows up. However, he has a problem that he must deal with. Upon birth he had a monster placed inside him. And because of this, everyone avoids him, afraid that the monster will come out and starts to rampage throughout the city as it did before. He eventually learns to co-exist with the monster inside of him and he once again resumes his path towards becoming the village-leader. However, this time he makes a lot of friends on the way and he won't let anything stand in his way again." -Jason says as he takes another look at his comic books.

"J-Jason, these are all… You might actually have a resemblance with these comics!" -Master Star says as he takes another glance at the comic books and starts thinking.

(He… might be able to… He does have my… Maybe, just maybe he could…?) -Master Star then looks back at his student who is gathering his books.

"Jason, give me your comic books." -The master says as he holds up his hand.

"Uhm… okay, teach. Whatever you say." -Jason said hesitant yet trustful.

"Good, now follow me outside! We're going to resume training, because I just thought of a way to further help you evolve." -Star said with a bright smile on his face.

"Y-Yes Teach! Let's do this then!" -Jason shouted out of excitement.

.

* * *

.

 _\- The next two years consisted of Jason trying to rein-act certain things and techniques from his comic. –_

.

 _\- Three years after the training from his comics. Master Star and Jason are sitting on the side of a waterfall, that pours down over one of the mountains. –_

"Remember student, you are capable of doing these things because you're different from the other people that hold ESP." -Master star shouts as he is supervising Jason's magic-training.

 _\- Jason was sitting on the bottom of a lake, pushing back the water with the force of his magic. -_

"Right! Could you… explain that one more time, please Master?" -Jason says as he smiles at his teacher.

"Of course, my student. Your magic is unlike anything I have ever seen before, I'll admit that. Normally the magic-source inside of someone, is determent on birth. It does not change, no matter what. The rate at which you master your magic is different for each person. This magic is their own and cannot be taken away. And even though there is almost no end to the evolution of magic, there are people who might hold the same or similar looking magic." -Master Star explains as he pours some tea.

"Ah, I remember now. But you never told me about my magic, nor yours…" -Jason says as he gets out of the water and walk up on land.

"Well… the truth is. I have never seen something like your magic before, Jason."

"What? But, teach… I remember how you said you were an expert in this area of expertise and how you said that you were the one who discovered almost everything about ESP. Trust me… I remember the speech you gave…" -Jason said as he looked away for a second.

"Yes, that is indeed true. However, from the first time I read your Magic-readings, something was of and I can't really describe it. I know that there is one thing about you that I just can't seem to understand. No matter how much I try to wrap my head around you, I just can't seem to figure it out." -Master Star said as he sat down and stared at his tea.

"You've never told me that before, Master. What is it that you can't figure out, maybe I can help? I have been under your wings for a long time now, after all." -Jason said as he tried to cheer up Master Star.

"Well it… it's… it's uhm…" -The teacher said as he wasn't so sure he should be saying this.

"What is it, teach? You can tell me." -Jason said as he grabbed the other cup and filled it with tea.

(I know I can tell him, but how will he react if I told him the truth about his magic…?) -Master Star thought to himself with a painful expression on his face.

"What's wrong, teacher? Think that I can't handle myself? Haha, you know I can handle whatever you throw at me!" -Jason said as he got a little full of himself.

.

 _\- Star took a deep breath and sighed out of tension. He then placed his drink next to him and faced Jason. –_

"Alright Jason, here is the truth… Every person on the planet, everyone that you know and love that has ESP. Usually has magic powers. However, as I just said, everyone has their own 'source of magic'. Their own, sometimes unique, magic that belongs to them… However, you… Jason…" -Master Star said as he looked hesitant as his student.

"…and I can explain part of it but… you have two..., my dear student…"

"T-Two? Wait a minute… I thought you said that 'someone who holds ESP is-" -Jason said confusingly until he got interrupted by Master Star.

"-is only capable of holding one magic source, otherwise it would slowly destroy the owner's body'. Yes, that is what I said and yes that is true. This would be referred to as the ESP-disease. They wouldalso have signs over their body. But somehow, your body does not only wield two magic sources, it has already started merging them." -The master explained as he made gestures of putting his hands together and clenching them.

"W-What does that even mean? And how come I have two sources to begin with?" -Jason asked while frustratingly drinking his tea.

"Okay, maybe I should clear it up a little… You didn't have two ESP-sources from the start, neither did it develop itself, you have obtained an additional ESP-source. Which, in theory, should still kill you… Hmm?" -Master Star said as he felt proud upon discovering this.

"HOW IS THAT ANY BETTER?!" -Jason yelled angerly.

"Don't you see, Jason…? It didn't! The real question is… how?" -The teacher said as he pointed at Jason.

"No…! I don't see it! And what did you mean with 'I can explain part of it'?!"

" ***sigh*** To be honest with you Jason, I know a lot more than I should. And I also know a lot more about you than I should." -He said as he showed a serious face.

"Now what is THAT supposed to mean…?! ***sigh*** …You know what, I'm sorry I asked, please continue." -Jason said as he put down his cup.

"Now, I know that you have been in an accident, Jason."

" ***?!*** How did you know, Master?" -Jason said with a shocked expression.

"The point is… You've been feeling 'different' since then, but not too much, correct? You feel just right, not as if your body is ripping itself apart, nor as if you just stubbed you toe. Nothing mayor yet nothing small either, am I right?" -Master Star said as if you knew exactly what was going on.

"Y-Yeah, that's true. I haven't given it any thought. But you're right…"-Jason said as he couldn't believe how Master Star would know all this.

(Well… I guess he IS a professor and an expert in the area, so maybe I shouldn't expect any less…) -He thought to himself as he felt surprisingly calm.

"Oh, I was right? Well, would you look at that…" -He said as he rubbed his head and laughed out loud.

"W-What?! But then… How did you know all of that?!" -Jason said as he stood up and got mad.

"Hahaha Sorry, sorry. Just a wild guess. Hahah" -Master Star said as he was laughing at his student.

.

 _\- After a few seconds of the teacher messing with his student… -_

"However…" -He said with a calm, yet anxious voice.

"… Do you remember what I said before?! Someone's magic is their own and cannot under any circumstances be taken away. So, what we should be worrying about is… where did you gain that other magic source?" -He said with a serious voice.

"Master, I swear… I-I don't-!" -Jason quickly said in his defense, as he really didn't know anything.

"-Don't worry, my dear student. I know you don't know anything about this subject, or whatsoever." -Master Star said in a way that slightly annoyed Jason.

"Frankly, you have neither the guts nor talent, to do so…" -He said in full honesty.

"HEY?!" -Jason yelled in an annoyed and upset way.

"Hahaha Don't worry Jason, I'm only kidding around. I know you have plenty of talent, that is especially noticeable in these past few years. So that's not were I am going with this." -The teacher spoke from his heart, yet he said that to calm down his student, as well.

"Actually… I know where you got that extra source from. And I happen to know who it's from as well." -He said with a voice so serious, Jason had never heard this tone from his master before. And was sitting patiently in front of him.

"And while I tell you that, I might as well tell you something else too."

"What do you mean, Master?" -Jason said, being more confused than before.

"The second source you hold inside you, well not for long, is… actually… mine…" -Master Star claimed as he looked at Jason with conjecture written all over his face.

"I-IS… this… a test? To see whether, I have been paying attention or not?" -Jason said more confused than ever before.

"NO, I…! ***sigh*** I know this may sound hard to believe, but just hear me out… Ten years ago I arrived in this city, not knowing what I got myself into. I fought a powerful foe, who was able to successfully steal a large portion of my ESP. I was helpless… he was draining my body so much, that I should have died… However, something weird happened as he was killing me. Some sort of rift or portal opened next to us and it started sucking in my magic. A minute later, it sucked us in too… It did something weird to my body, I don't feel the same as I used to. Using my ESP is a lot harder than it used to be." -Master Star explained as he dragged down the mood a little bit.

"M-Master… What happened next?!" -Jason said with a caring voice.

"Well… I landed in the middle of 'your' city and noticed what I felt weak, very weak… I had just enough strength to stand. Honestly, I was lucky that his draining took so long. Because of that, he didn't drain all my ESP. Otherwise I wouldn't be alive right now… And the rest you know. I did some searching while recovering. That's how I found you. I didn't want to waste time." -Master Star said in a sincere way.

"Slow down, Master. You keep talking about this other person, who is he?!" -he said as he got worried.

"He… he is the absolute worst… He found some way to make himself stronger by stealing other people's magic source upon death… Apparently, there is a way to split someone's ESP-source from the moment they become deceased. When he came close to perfecting that technique of his, I became his next test-subject." -Master Star said with a hurtful-expression on his face.

"Do me a favor, Jason… Stay away from him. He is a monster!" -He said with a disgusted expression.

"So, what you are saying… is that there is a monster walking around in my city?!" –Jason said, while looking horrified.

"Don't worry Jason, I'm sure that I am not the only one who was affected by the portal. He is in a messed-up state too." -The teacher said with great confidence.

"However, if you are serious about defending your city, then you will have to master my ESP-source first. Which should be easy, seeing as you've mostly absorbed the core into your body already. This is the main reason, the past training-exercises were so easy to you."

"T-They were?! Are you saying that stuff should have been, even more challenging than it already was?!" -He shouted as he couldn't believe his ears. As he already had trouble with a lot of those tasks.

"Let me tell you what my ESP-power is, Jason. Ready? My power is… **Copy**. I can copy any move that I have seen and touched. That is my power."

"So, that's why, huh...? But, wait a minute, I haven't touched any of your magic, master… Ans I'm pretty sure I have never touched any of the techniques from the comic books. So, how am I able to perform the same techniques?!" -Jason says while picking up the fishing-rods and getting ready to start fishing.

"That is… the part I haven't been able to figure out yet…" -He replied with a thinking-face.

"For now, let's just focus on catching our dinner."

.

* * *

.

 _\- Nine years of the training are up, leaving only one… -_

.

"Jason, seeing as you've nearly completed the training and you've shown a great rate of growth on both appearance and ESP-control. I am going to give you, the most challenging and final test, an exam you might say. It's just that, I am not going to decide whether you pass or not. That will be all you, my student." – Master Star says while gloating a little bit.

"Really? O-Okay, whatever you're going to throw my way. I can take it!" -He responded proudly.

"Well, that's exactly the thing, student. **I** am not going to throw anything your way. This will all be your doing. For your final test, you will be 'making' something with YOUR magic. Do you understand, Jason?"

"Yes, sir. I understand. But… what is it exactly that I am going to be making?" -Jason replied as if he was ready to take this exam on, right at that moment.

"Jewelry… And I think you know who it's for... You see Jason, that is the difficult part and that is also the reason why I won't give you a grade for it. You will keep making and reforming the jewelry until you think it is good enough to hand it over to 'your' "jewels" back in town, that is your truth behind your exam!"

(T-Teacher…)

"Yes, I will try my very best!" -Jason says while smiling brightly with some pink cheeks.

.

* * *

.

 _\- The Last day of the Long Years of Training… Currently at 5:30 In the morning. -_

 _\- Jason and Master Star were standing in front of the house. –_

"Well, my dear student… No, you're not my student anymore… You are something far beyond that now." -Master Star said in a sincere and warm-hearted tune.

"Thanks… Mister Star, for everything. I promise you, all the blood, sweat, tears and time that you put in my training won't be for naught!"

"You're very welcome, Jason Starridge. Now… Would you please show them to me, one last time." -Mister Star asks of Jason as he points at Jason's inner pocket.

 _\- Jason reaches for his inner pockets and pulls out two jewelry boxes. –_

"Sure, here you go." -He says as he hands over the two boxes.

"Ah, yes. Once again, excellent work, Mister Starridge." -Mister star said as he looked at the beautiful jewelry inside both boxes.

"Thank you, Mister Star. It is all thanks to you that I ever got this far."

"Not at all…! Okay maybe a little. But you' really have done well to come this far. I wish you luck for whatever your future holds in store for you. However, Jason, I have a present for you…"-Mister Star said as he placed his hands on both sides of Jason's head.

"There, now we're linked."

"Linked? What do you mean?" -Jason asked

"If you ever find yourself in trouble, that you find too much to handle yourself, then you can contact me through that psychic-link and I will help you out when needed."

"Wow, thanks a bunch, Mister Star" -Jason replies with a firm hug.

"Well, I'll be off then. I'll see you later… Master…" -Jason says with a wide and bright smile as he walks off into the sunrise.

 _._

 ** _\- As Jason turned around and headed back for the city, he felt extremely excited to be going back home to his family. And especially, to his two best friends, who he also hadn't seen for many years… -_**

.

.

* * *

.

 _To be Continued in: Among Earth: Chapter Three – Crisis…! A hero Appears!_


	2. AM - CH 2

**A.N. - This chapter takes place the day** _ **(in story time)**_ **after the previous chapter: Chapter Four of Among Earth.**

 **In this chapter the Starridge-family, excluding Jason, will go on an expedition a few countries over. Here they will encounter some minor surprises, things they wouldn't have thought to be here after all 'this time'.**

 **Enjoy the story, as we follow the Starridges on their expedition.**

.

* * *

.

.

 _ **Among Mirrors: Chapter Two – Mark's Chase**_

.

\- The next morning _\- The next morning broke upon East City as the Starridge family were packing up and were about ready to leave the house. -_

"Do we have everything?" -John asked as he loaded two bags into the company jeep.

"(No, not yet.)" -Mark mumbled as he projected his thoughts into his father's and carried two more bags out of the house.  
"These are the last ones." -He said normally, as he loaded the last bags into the back of the truck.  
 _\- Malissa was standing at the front door, locking the door behind her. –_

"Okay, we' re all set!" -She said as she approached the front-gate.

"Alright, everybody get in the car, then we'll be of!" -John said as he got in first.

"(I'll just check on Jas while we still have the chance)" -Mark thought to himself as he looked towards the house.

"(-Hmm, still asleep huh? Crazy Sleepyhead!)" -Mark thought as they took off.

.

 _\- A few minutes later after leaving the city… -_

 _\- Mark grabbed the notes they had written down a few days ago, containing the information from the other researchers, whom informed them of the ruins' location. –_

"According to the local research team, the ruins are quite old and look very damaged. However, there are some parts that seem like they have never been touched." -Mark said to his parents, to freshen up their memory of the notations they wrote.

"The ruins were discovered some time after 'the disaster'. The mountains that were surrounding the temple have been destroyed by the 'disaster', thus exposing the temple to the local researchers. Some parts of the temple are in good conditions while others are nearly unrecognizable. There are inscriptions all over the pillars, walls, graves, and shrines. However, it seems that they have no idea of what the inscriptions mean. And that's where we come into play." -Marks said in a self-explanatory way.

"That reminds me, I've received a phone call the other day from the research-team, saying that they won't be at the temple." -John said as he looked in the rear-view mirror at his son.

"What? So, we'll be all alone at the temple, what about the equipment?" -Malissa asked in a shocked way.

"They said that they'll leave the equipment for us, although it's a bit further away from the temple than it originally was." -John replied.

"How come? Why did they move their research-equipment, dad?" -Mark asked while putting his notes aside.

"Well apparently, there is a monster at courtyard of the temple. While it is chained up, it's reach isn't long but apparently there is something else going on there."

"And what would that be, hon?" -Malissa asked worried.

"It has certain powers as well, they said that it made the research undo-able. So, they are leaving this job completely to us." -John said as he gave his family a heads-up.

.

 _\- A few hours later at the temple entrance, the Starridge family had parked their car next to the tents and equipment setups a couple of feet away from the entrance of the temple, rather than inside of the temple walls. –_

.

"T-This is incredible…" -John says as he looks at the temple, which is in a pretty good shape.

"Yeah, there really is nobody here." -Mark says as he uses his powers to scan of the area while carrying some bags out of the truck.

"Temples in the mountains usually stay in peak condition, even after hundreds of years… But, what happened here?" -Malissa said as she looked from one side of the temple to the other.

"Hmm? What do you mean, honey? It's in pretty good shape, right Mark?" -John replied in an enthusiastic way.

"I agree, hon. Its just that the temple could be in a much better shape. Look around, the shrine on the left and storage house on the right are in great shape. However, as you look towards the courtyard, you notice walls that look damaged and pieces of burned wood with some debris along some parts of the temple. It's as if some things here, were struck by lightning. But we're a temple protected by mountains, how could lightning strike here?!" -Malissa explained to the others.

"Yes, you're right about that mom. However, let's not forget that there is a monster in the courtyard, who might be responsible." -Mark replied.

"Yes but, why would it destroy its own home?" -John said with a confused look.

"Let's not think about that for too long. We'll think about this when we need to. For now, I am going to check their equipment and look through their notes." -John said as he walked towards the tents a couple meters behind the jeep.

"Alright then, I am going to check out the shrine to the left of the courtyard.

"I'm coming with." -Mark said as he followed his mother towards the entrance.

.

 _\- At the entrance… -_

"Mom, I am going to look at the storage house. I have my radio on, in case something happens." -He said as he turned right at the main-gate.

"Hey honey?" -Malissa said to mark as she smiled at him.

"Hmm? What is it, mom?"

"This is really exciting! Don't you think so?" -Malissa said while smiling wide.

"Geez, you never change mom." -Mark replied while adjusting his glasses with a loving smile.

"Ah, thank you hon. Alright, be careful." -Malissa said to her son as she waved with her radio and took a left turn.

 _\- As Mark nears the storage house, he inspects a couple of things before he entered the storage and notices that it is in quite the good shape. He just hoped that the same thing could be said for the inside. –_

"Now, I really should check their supplies. See whatever remains." -Mark mumbles to himself as he opens the door to the storage and sniffs through all the stuff.

"Let's hope that I find some old papers or documents, stored away."

"( ***?!*** T-This is… completely ruined. ***sigh*** What a shame…)" -Mark thought to himself as he hoped to finally have found something useful.

" ***sigh*** This storage house doesn't have much usefulness to us…" -he mumbles as he steps back through the door and walks out.

 _\- As he walks outside, the sun is preventing him from getting a clear view of his surroundings. –_

"The sun is pretty intense today." -He mumbled as he raised his (left-) hand in front of his face to block out the sunlight.

 _\- Mark was in luck. A few seconds later, the clouds temporarily blocked out the sun and allowed him to see things clear once again. When he looked to his left he saw his dad at the encampment downhill. However, when he looked to his right, he notices a lot of rubble and debris laying on the ground, alongside the wall. -_

" ***Whistles*** (What happened over there…?)" -He thought too himself as he walked along the path of rubble and debris.

\- When he follows the rubble along the wall, he notices that one of the walls has a massive chunk missing from it. The hole has a huge tree going right through it. -

"W-What happened here?! That is a huge tree…!" -He said in a shocked way.

-When he passed through the hole and climbed over the tree, he notices something odd at the base of the tree. –

"Hmm?! What is this…?"

\- As Mark got closer and inspected the tree up close, he couldn't believe his eyes. –

"(T-These are scorch marks?!) B-But it wasn't a fire! A fire would've burned down the whole tree. Yet here it is, struck by… lightning? That WOULD match with the other ruined parts around the temple." -He said as he pulled a piece of dead bark from the tree.

"(Yup, completely dead… yet the leaves are still intact. As if it was preserved, in some way.)" -Mark thought to himself as he inspected the piece of wood.

"(What did they do here? What was the purpose of this temple?)" -He thought as he was quickly reminded of what his father said.

"A monster, huh…?" -He thought as he looked up towards the clouds and started thinking.

 _\- At that very moment, a loud noise and a huge dust cloud came from the location of his mother. Loud white noise came from the radio. -_

"Mom, Mom are you alright?!" -Mark shouted in his radio.

 _\- Mark closed his eyes and released a sonar in the area. Luckily, he sensed that his mother was in no harm. However, at the same time, he sensed a huge aura in the direction of the courtyard that somehow managed to remain undetected by Mark. -_

" ***?!*** (That couldn't have been…?!)" -Mark thought to himself as he reached for his radio.

 _\- A static noise was released from the radio and soon after, John's voice could be heard. -_

"Mal?! Mal, please respond!" -John said in a worried way.

" ***cough, cough*** Yes… I'm fine honey, don't worry. The shrine however… not so good." -Malissa said through the radio as the noise in the background cleared up.

"What happened over there? I could see the dust cloud that it created, all the way from over here." -John asked through the radio.

"The… The walls surrounding the shrine, collapsed and took the shrine along with it… The inscriptions on the walls, are completely destroyed now." -Malissa said with a sad and disappointed tone.

"As long as you're okay Mal, it's all the same to me." -John said as he took a sigh of relieve.

"You got us scared there, mom…" -Mark said over the radio as he sighed, as well.

"Ah, I love you two, as well. Thank you." -Malissa said with a sincere smile (over the radio).

"Well, now that I know you're safe, I have something that I want to say." -Mark said in a serious way.

"What is it son?" -John asked.

"Dad, do you remember what you said about the… monster?"

"You mean the one that the researchers spoke of?" -John replied.

"Yes, that one. I think I just found it. Or located it, at least." -Mark said in a confident way.

"Hey Mark, don't you think of doing anything crazy alright?!" -John replied straight away.

"Honey, just… be careful… alright?" -Malissa said as she knew what her son was about to do.

"I will…"

"Mark?! Really, don't go-" -John said as Mark turned of his radio and made his way towards the main-courtyard.

"Anyway John, come over here. One of the walls here is somewhat intact, I can read the little parts but not all of it. I'd like you to take a look at this.

.

* * *

.

\- Three minutes later, we switch over to John and Malissa's point of view. -

.

"Alright Mal, I'm here. What did you want me to loo-" -John said as he was stopped by the wall on his right, that still had some drawings and inscriptions intact.

"Hi hon, yeah those are some of the smaller drawings on the walls." -Malissa said as she approached her husband. "S-Smaller? But these are quite big already!" -He said to his surprise.

"They are big indeed. However, these one over here are- used to be even larger." -She replied as she stood still and gestured towards the pieces from the walls that she carefully places back together, on the ground behind her.

 _\- John gazed upon the rubble along the broken-shrine, as he noticed the drawings behind his wife. -_

"You mean the ones over there, right? They are indeed a bit odd, they seem a little familiar though…" -John mumbled a little as his mind was flooded with memories.

 _\- At this moment, of John spacing out, Malissa put her arms around her husband and kissed him passionately. -_

"Oh… Did I do something to earn your loving embrace, once again?" -John said playfully as he held his wife in his arms.

"'That' was for worrying and caring about me when I was in danger, a few minutes ago. ***kisses him again*** And 'that' was for being there for me, when I needed you." -Malissa said with love and compassion, as any loving wife would have said.

"I see what you're going for, Mrs Starridge…" -He teased her, as he smiled wide and kissed his wife back.

"Aw, I love you hon."

"I love you too."

"Uhm… I really don't want to interrupt your moment… But, I am pretty close to the courtyard now… Have you found anything yet?" -Mark said over the radio.

" ***John clears throat*** `Yeah, we were just getting to that."

 _\- As the married couple gently let go of each other, they took another look at the smaller drawings. -_

"Let's see, what do we have here…?" -John said as he kneeled down at one of the destroyed walls and tried to read the small inscriptions at the bottom.

"I have found some parts that say; Devine, Second and something called The Flame of Life." -Malissa said

"There are some words here as well, they describe some sort of final… ritual, maybe? Or maybe a sacrifice of some sort… No, that's not it… They, I guess that refers to the people of this temple, made a sacrifice, some sort of 'final ritual'. In that ritual, they…!" -John said all excited.

"Why'd you stop, John?" -Malissa asked.

"Well, that is where we need to other part of the wall…"-He replied as he looked over the crumble part of the wall and stared at the pieces of scattered rubble on the ground.

"Hahaha A-Accident happen, r-right dear?" -Malissa

"Well that's about the basic gist of things. Did you find anything, Mark?" -John said as he spoke into the radio.

.

* * *

.

 _\- Back to Mark's PoV… -_

.

"No, the storage and warehouses didn't hold much information, nor useable materials for our research." -He replied.

"I AM at the main-gate now! It is stuck, however. I'll use my powers to force it open. If you hear another explosion don't worry, it is just me." -Mark said as he casually adjusted his glasses.

"I am going in! I will contact you again in a minute." -Mark replied as he blew open the forced gate with his psychic powers.

\- A cloud of dust had covered the side-gate and blinded Mark's vision. -

\- As Mark stepped forward, out of the dust cloud and into a spacious courtyard. On first sight, he couldn't believe his eyes… Mark was filled with all sorts of emotions that shot through his head, at that very moment… -

" ***?!*** W-What… is this…?!" -He said as he dropped his radio.

 _\- Mark kneeled down to pick up the radio and let the picture in front of him, sink in… -_

"Mom, Dad… Come in…" -He said with a frustrated yet calm state of mind.

 _\- Mark took of his glasses and inhaled. He paused for a few seconds and exhaled deeply. Soon after, he put his glasses back on, as if he knew exactly what he needed to do. -_

"What is it Mark? What do you see, son?" -John replied with anxiety.

"Everything is fine or at least, it will be in a minute. Just… just come over here, okay.? Go to the storage-house and take a left, then follow that wall until you reach a crumbled wall. Go straight for 12meters and take the first right." -Mark said as he walked towards some sort of altar.

 _\- Mark now stood in front in an altar, where the huge energy was coming from a minute ago. -_

"Hello… Monster…" -He said with a shadow covering his face as he clicked his tongue.

\- In front of him stood an altar with two big pillars next to it, facing the main-gate. Attached to the pillars, were two giant metal chains that were attached to a small metal collar. The so-called-monster that was wearing the collar, turned out to be a small puppy with grey fur. –

"Who… Who did this to you…?!" -Mark muttered with a gentle voice as he kneeled and looked straight at the young puppy.

 _\- The puppy was squirming around, as if he really wanted to get that collar off his neck. -_

"Do you want me to help you?" -Mark said as he raised his arm and reached towards 'the Monster'.

"… **BARK!** " -The puppy barked loudly at Mark. Making his fur stand on edge, blue-lightning shot out of his mouth, heading straight for Mark.

"Whoa there…! You want me to help, but you're afraid? ***sigh*** " -Mark said in surprise as he used his psychic to take hold of the lightning and made it bend away from him.

 _\- When the lightning hit the wall, it instantly crumbled and it made Mark understand what has been happening with the temple. -_

"I see… so you are the cause of all this destruction. Little troublemaker." -He mumbled with a smile.

 _\- Mark looks back at the dog and notices that sparks are flying off the dog's neck. -_

" ***?!*** Why did you shock yourself? C-Could it be because of the metal-chains and collar?!" -He said in a shocked way.

 _\- The dog was no longer paying attention to Mark, as all he cared about was the collar. While squirming wildly again, he released more and more lightning until it eventually hit one of the pillars. -_

"Whoever did this to you is horrible. You have all this power and the only thing you can do is hurt yourself. But you don't seem to have full control over your power, do you?"

 _\- The dog tried to shake the collar violently, however he was stopped by Mark. –_

"Whoa, hang on just a second." -Mark said as he held down the dog with his left hand.

"If you keep doing that, you will hurt yourself even more than you already have."

 _\- Mark reached with his right hand towards the puppy, causing the puppy to close its eyes. Following that, a loud breaking sound could be heard through the courtyard. –_

"There…"

 _\- The puppy opened his eyes and looked up. He notices that he was free. -_

"(Maybe this person isn't so bad...)"-He thought to himself.

 _\- Then the puppy was reminded of the people of his past and he jumped of the altar and ran towards the centre of the courtyard using his lightning powers. -_

"You have some control over them, after all? I guess that metal-collar was just too much." -He replied as walked around the altar, facing the dog in the centre of the courtyard.

"You wouldn't happen to know what happened here, would you?" -Mark asked of the puppy, who seemed slightly bigger for some reason.

"Bark Bark BARK!-" -The 'puppy' shouted at Mark as he tried to talk.

(Because Mark also has the power of 'Animal Telepathy', he was able to understand the dog) "-I won't be misled by you humans anymore!"

"What do you mean by misled?" -Mark asked as he stood eye-to-eye with the dog in front of him.

\- The dog froze and loosened up as soon as he heard the human repeat the words he said. -

"Bark BARK Bark Bark. (I thought you humans couldn't understand us animals?!)" -The dog said to him as he lowered his volume.

"Well, no. Technically speaking, we aren't able to." -He said calmly as he approached the dog.

"But I am an exception…" -He said as he lowered himself and softly started petting the dog.

\- For the first time in a while, the dog felt at ease. Being pet by this stranger with a gentle-aura surrounding him, made the dog lower his electric-fur and start wagging his tail. However, when Mark petted the dog, it turned the fur from grey to black, all over his slightly bigger body. -

"BARK BARK Bark Bark BARK BARK Bark Bark! (If you manage to beat me in a fight, I will tell you everything that you want to know. However, I won't hold back!)" -The dog said as he charged his fur with electricity.

"And what if I lose?" -Mark asked as he adjusted his glasses.

"Bark BARK Bark BARK BARK? (Then I will destroy this temple. You seem like you are looking for answers, aren't you?)" -The dog smirked as he grew slightly bigger.

"Alright then… I accept your challenge!" -Mark said as he took of his glasses with his right hand.

 _\- The dog came charging at him while covered in jolts of blue-lightning. -_

"(And here I hoped I could have a Peaceful state of mind, coming on this expedition.)" -Mark thought too himself as he himself charged forward.

.

\- John and Malissa arrive at the side-gate. -

"Mark, we're here." -John said as he walked through the gate.

"Honey, where are you?" -Malissa shouted as they didn't see Mark anywhere.

"Ah, John! What if Mark got eaten by that monster?!" -Malissa said as she started to freak out in her own way.

"Truth be told, I'm more worried about the monster… If Mark gets serious… Ah! I don't even want to think about it…" -John said to his wife in a sincere yet worried way.

 _\- Flashes of Purple and Yellow were_

 _, huge dust clouds started to appear surrounding John and Malissa. As they cleared up, Mark was standing in front of them without his glasses. -_

Oh, there you are sweetie. What were you doing?" -Malissa asked

"Playing with a new friend." -Mark replied

"What new friend?" -Malissa asked of her son _._

 _\- From the second dust cloud, behind Mark, the dog re-appeared. -_

"This, friend." -He says as he gestures behind him and reveals the dog sitting on the ground, wagging its tail.

"(Have you had enough, now?)" -Mark said as he spoke to the dog behind him.

"Bark Bark (Yes, I name you the winner!)" -The dog barked at Mark.

"Ah, what a cute little thing! Where did you find him?" -Malissa asked as she picked up the dog and started hugging it.

"That is the so-called 'monster'. He is strong, but you don't have to be afraid. He is practically harmless, aren't you?" -He said as he petted the dog.

"T-T-That is the monster?!" -John said while shocked.

"What was wrong with the researchers?!" -John yelled irritated.

"Well to be fair, he was shooting lightning-bolts up until a second ago. And the researchers probably never saw him in the first place. He was bound in iron chains at the altar." -Mark explained.

"What do you mean altar, hon?" -Malissa asked whilst confused.

"Ah, I mean this." As Mark gestured towards the altar, all the dust clouds that were in the way, dispersed.

"(Show-off… Well, he's still my son.)" -John thought to himself.

.

 _\- As Mark and the dog guided them towards the altar, Mark went around the altar and showed them the back of it. -_

"Whoa, that is a lot of history." -Malissa said as she started to work her expertise on all of the inscriptions.

"What is, Mal?" -John said as he came around the corner and noticed the drawings at the top of the wall.

"Wow, now this is interesting!" -He said in excitement.

\- Mark crouched down and made a conversation with the dog. -

"So? You said you would answer all of my questions, if I won. Which I did, if you need a reminder." -Mark said as he convinced the dog to tell him the secrets of this temple.

"Bark Bark Bark BARK (Yes, that is correct. I will tell you everything that I know, but where do I start…?)" -The dog said as he looked at the wall with drawing.

"So Mark, mind filling us in on what he said? We can't talk with animals, remember?" -John said whilst jealous of his son.

"Ah, my bad. Wait a minute dad, mom." -He replied as he reached towards the dog whilst crouched.

"Don't worry, little guy. Can I try something?"

"Bark! (Of course!)" -The dog replied.

 _\- Mark gently placed his hand on the dog's head and closed his eyes. To his parents, standing next to him, it seemed as if nothing happened. However, to Mark it was very different. The whole life of that dog, everything he had ever seen or experienced was transferred to Mark. -_

 _\- A few seconds have passed, yet for Mark a lifetime was added to his mind. And a long one as well… He got up and made his way towards the wall. -_

"Thank you, little guy…" -Mark says while a tear rolls down his cheek…

 _\- The dog looked up, knowing that he made a lifetime-friend… -_

"Okay, he didn't know everything. However, it was enough to read this wall and most of the temple's history."

.

"T-This story actually starts about two-hundred years ago… The temple and its inhabitant were in chaos. For some reason, they had to give 'something' up, or rather they had to give 'something' away. He didn't know what it was but is seems like some sort of power-source, maybe even magic? Eventually they gave it away, but first they performed a ritual. They put the dog up as temple guardian, against his will. They transferred a piece of their power-source into the dog and chained him up, so that the power would never leave the temple. They placed a curse on you, making you unable to age nor control your magic-source… The collar was cursed as well, it was made to shrink you, so that it was easier for them to make you do their bidding... Being chained up, responsible for protecting the people that did this to you, for two-hundred years… It must have been agonizing…?!" -Mark says as he explained the dog's story whilst pointing across many different drawings on the wall.

"I don't know what their reasoning was, but they caused him a lot of suffering…! Starvation, Pain, Fear, Loneliness, day after day you were chained up. Rain, snow, thunder, hail and every other type of weather. You had to endure it all, didn't you…? They left you to rot, so that their temple's legacy could live on…!" -Mark told them as he clenched his fists with a dark shadow covering his face.

"T-Two-h-hundred y-years…?!" -John stuttered in shock.

"No one around him, no food, rainy days and stormy night… What a horrible fate!" -Malissa said as she started crying with both her hands in front of her mouth.

"Now I understand why you were so happy to see me, you were lonely…" -Mark said as his right hand, that was reading the wall, started shaking.

"BARK Bark Bark (I've been alone for so long… I forgot what company felt like…)" -The dog barked casually as snot started coming out of his nose.

"Ah, what a poor guy…" -John said as he firmly held his wife.

"Mom, dad? I've decided… I'll take him i-" -Mark said as he was interrupted by his mother.

"We're taking him home!" -Malissa said as he started hugging the dog again, with tears flooding her eyes.

"BARK Bark? (You barely even know me, why would you do that do me?)" -The dog started to whine softly.

"Nonsense, you're family now!" -Mark said whilst smiling at the dog.

"Although we can't keep him living in our jeep?! We are on the road a lot and at the lab he would be just a lonely, wouldn't he?" -John said as he scratched his head.

"Don't worry, dad. I already thought of that. But first…" -Mark said as he looked at the end of the wall.

 _\- He notices 3 drawings at the end, which seemed a bit different than the others. These were clear images. The first one with a man touching a cat on the head, at the altar. The second was just the cat standing there, with a glowing sun behind him. The third drawing showed a different animal entirely, while still glowing brightly. –_

"What could this mean? It wasn't in the dog's memories either…" -Mark mumbles whilst confused.

"Mark at your feet, there are two more drawings." -John said as he crouched down.

"Okay, let's see what this one has to say." -Mark replied as he crouched down as well.

 _\- The drawing in the lower-right corner, showed a picture of the temple that they were currently in. This picture of the temple was surrounded by a yellow glow. However, there was a second temple right next to it (using the same image). The only difference was, that this temple had a picture of the sun above it and two spears on the side of the sun. –_

.

"It looks like there is something else to this temple that just the dog. And on top of that, if I am reading this correct, then there is a second temple. I am unsure what the sun is suppose too represent here." -Mark said while turning towards his mother, who was still hugging the dog.

"Yeah…. So, what you do think, da-" -Mark stopped himself from talking when he saw his dad's expression.

"D-Dad?!" -He said.

"T-This drawing… I-It's the same a-as that m-man from my n-nightmares!" -John stuttered terrified.

 _\- Mark turned towards the drawing to his left as fast as he could, desperate to identified it. –_

"(The man from dad's visions, was a man with blonde hair, in brown rags with blood on his hands, standing on top of a ruined city.) This man is wearing brown rags and has blond hair. But that doesn't-" -Mark said as he paused and took a closer look at the drawing.

"You see it too, right Mark? The drawing is damaged, right around the man's feet." -John said as he closed his eyes.

"What do you mean honey, you make it sound like that is really important for some reason…?" -Malissa reacted as she had calmed down.

"Quite sweetie, I'm going to try something…" -John said as he placed his shaking hand on the broken part of the drawing

 _\- He was concentrating very hard and after a few seconds, images started to pop into his head. The images showed him the past, allowing him to see what the drawing looked like in its original state. -_

"Word, it was a word that was written here. It said: East." -John said as he calmed down.

"East, huh? Maybe it is referring to the drawing of the two temples on his right?!" -Mark said as he looked at the dog sitting next to him.

 _\- The dog tilted his head sideways, as if he was saying that he didn't know. -_

"No good, huh…" -Mark replied.

"Maybe…" -John replied as he stood back up and put on his thinking face.

"Well, we won't get anywhere just standing here. Let's head back to the camp, okay?" -Malissa suggested with a smile.

"That sounds good, hon. Let's get something to eat as well, all this excitement made me hungry." -John replied.

.

 _\- Upon arriving back at the camp… -_

.

"Now that the 'little monster' is out of the way ***pets the dog*** , we can research the temple in peace." -John said while playing with the dog.

"I'll call the local research lab in the afternoon, saying that it is safe to continue their research." -Malissa said as he placed her hands under her chin and looked at the dog.

"Anyway… what was your plan for the dog, Mark?" -She asked.

"Oh, it's simple. He is lonely, right? So, what do we do about that?" -He asked.

"I don't know. What do we do about that?" -John replied

"It really is simple, we place him with someone who is able to feel that loneliness and turn in into love and care." -He stated.

 _\- His parents smiled at each other as they completely understood what their son meant. -_

\- The dog looked up, not knowing what they meant. -

"Alright then, take care son." -John said as he threw the car-keys towards him.

"If we need anything, we'll take the other jeep from the local research team." -John stated as he smiled wide.

"Be safe, honey." -Malissa said as she waved him goodbye.

"Well then, I'm of!" -He said as he drove back home with a two-hundred years old black puppy.

.

 **\- As Mark drove home with his new friend, he could only imagine what secrets the temple had in store. A mystery-power-source, a temple-guard and mysterious drawings and inscriptions scattered all over the place. Who were the people back in the day and why have they done what they did? What will the Starridge-Family do? Now that they know what happened at that temple many years ago, how will they prepare for what lies ahead without Mark...? -**

.

.

* * *

.

 _To be Continued in: Among Earth: Chapter Five – The Importance of Family_


	3. Chapter 3

Title Test

Single enter

single double shift+enter 

double double shift+enter

.

("regular") 'dot' test

bhbhjnjnjk


End file.
